In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in British Virgin Islands, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in British Virgin Islands.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that British Virgin Islands does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in British Virgin Islands, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in British Virgin Islands

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The British Virgin Islands capital, Road Town does not currently host any embassy.

However, there are 2 honorary consulates in the British Virgin Islands and a Governor's Office.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Road Town.

You will find below a list of countries that have a diplomatic mission in British Virgin Islands. The list includes consulates and honorary consulates and sometimes other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Honorary Consulates in British Virgin Islands

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in British Virgin Islands, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Miami or Washington, USA for British Virgin Islands.

France

Honorary Consulate of France in the British Virgin Islands
Address: Poinsetter House at Bluebird's Castle.1330 Estate Taarnebjerg (Parcel 7 of Tract I). St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 00802
Tel: (+284) 342 1107
E-mail: frenchconsulatetortola@gmail.com

Germany

German Honorary Consul in British Virgin Islands
Address: Folio Chambers, PO Box 800, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Tel: (+284) 499 4040
E-mail: tortola@hk-diplo.de

United Kingdom

United Kingdom Governor's Office in the British Virgin Islands
Address: Waterfront Drive, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Tel: (+284) 494 2345
E-mail: govoffice.tortola@fcdo.gov.uk
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ukinbvi and https://twitter.com/bvigovoff
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

Note that as the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom and they do not provide consular services as are provided in foreign countries.